Ghosting Time
by ifyouweremine
Summary: If given a second chance, could you change the past? In the end, would things be any different? AH - short chapters
1. Accidental Destiny

**First and foremost, there will be NO physical abuse towards Bella acted out in this story. However, there will be some conversations about it later on between the characters, and those will _not_ be too graphic. It won't go beyond that, I promise. Out of courtesy, I will always post a warning at the top of the chapter with sensitive content.**

**I am asking you to trust me and not stop here.**

**I originally had these two parts as separate chapters, but I didn't want to scare anyone off with the first ending.**

**This fic will be written in Bpov.**

******Disclaimer - I do not own Twilight or its characters, the plot is all mine.**

**Unbeta'd - all mistakes are mine.**

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"You can't be serious." I laughed, instantly regretting my actions.

His smile quickly faded, and he stared straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel tighter.

"Why not?"

My knees trembled from an expected blow that never came.

"Because...," I stammered, "your parents. And your sister would surely kill us _both_ if we eloped two weeks before the wedding."

"Fuck everyone else, especially my sister. It's supposed to be a day of celebrating our love, nothing more - o_ur_ day, not theirs."

I _had_ thought about running away but not to elope with the wrong man, and Mr. Right was long gone, probably married with kids of his own by now. I had made a terrible mistake, and I'd surely pay for the rest of my life. Mr. Wrong would never let me go.

_If only I could go back..._

"Stop being stubborn, Bella. You can't tell me that you haven't thought about it at least once."

I decided to play along for good measure. "Okay, I _have_ thought about it."

"Recently?" His smiled returned.

"Yes," I whispered.

He slowed the car and pulled over, parking along the shoulder.

I shifted awkwardly in my seat, unsure of his intentions. Instinctively, I flinched, closing my eyes when he brought his hand towards my face. His gentle strokes surprised me.

"Bella, I love you, and I want you to be my wife... that's all. None of that other shit matters to me."

I nodded, swallowing hard. He _always_ said that he loved me.

He moved closer, and his lips firmly brushed against mine. His hand slowly wrapped around to the back of my neck, pulling me closer. He knew how to kiss me just the right way. There were similarities between Mr. Right and Wrong, and this was one of them. Yet, the differences were immense.

He groaned and raised his head, gazing into my eyes. His grip tightened on my neck.

"Please, Bella," he pleaded in a husky tone. "Let me show you just how much I love you. And not in two weeks... _now_."

_No! This is wrong. I can't do this._

I slowly shook my head. "I don't think that-"

From behind us, a loud, screeching sound pierced my ears and halted my words.

Then there was silence and darkness.

-xxxx-

I woke up feeling groggier than usual. My neck was stiff, and my body ached all over. I felt like I'd been hit by a bus.

I yawned and stretched, arching my back before scanning the room.

_How is this possible?_

Quickly, I sat up and pinched myself. The disbelief only heightened the more that I investigated.

My old diary sat on the nightstand with the same heart pen tucked inside.

Swallowing hard, I turned away from the picture frame next to the lamp.

_What the hell is going on?_

Rubbing my temples, I struggled to make sense of everything.

_How did I get here?_

A soft knock on the door startled me.

When I saw my mother's face, I knew I was certifiable.

"Mom?" I asked.

"Hi, sweetie. How'd you sleep?"

"I... I'm not sure."

She laughed. "I think your friends kept you out too late last night."

My heart raced, and the tears flowed. I jumped off of the bed and ran to her, hugging her tightly.

"Bella, honey, I can't breathe."

Ignoring her plea, I sniffed her hair.

_Strawberries._

I whispered out loud, "I missed you, Mama."

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**Are you still with me? I hope so.  
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**Updates will be posted at least twice a week. **

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	2. Meet the Parents

**Thank you for the attention you've given this story. **

**Someone asked me what my inspiration was. The answer is a song - _Ghosts of Days Gone By_ - Alter Bridge.  
**

**Unbeta'd - all mistakes are mine.**

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"Bella, hun, calm down," my mom consoled, rubbing my back.

As hard as I tried, I could not stop my tears. I hadn't seen her in five years. But how could I tell her that, when _somehow_ this wasn't the present time?

I winced, jumping as she touched an extra sensitive spot.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"I don't know but that hurt." I sniffled, wiping my eyes.

"Let's see."

She lifted up the back of my shirt, turning me around.

"My God, Bella!" She sounded frantic. "What happened to your back?"

_Shit!_

I rushed over to the mirror on the back of the bedroom door. There, just below my bra line was a huge bruise.

"I …. I don't know."

I honestly _didn't _remember that one from before.

"Did you injure yourself at the dance last night?"

_Dance?_

I shrugged. "I don't remember."

That was certainly a better answer than the possible truth.

"Maybe I should take you to see a doctor?"

An examination would lead to even more questions when and if they found more bruises.

"No!" I blurted out. "I'm fine. Really."

The look of genuine concern upon her face tore at my heart. It had been a long time since I'd seen such compassion.

Whether I was crazy or dreaming, I planned to take full advantage of whatever time I had in the past.

Like I had done numerous times before, I put on a brave face for her.

"I think I'm hungry. What's for breakfast?"

She frowned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

_Was that such an odd question?_

"Yeah, why?"

"Because it's Saturday, Bella."

_Blueberry waffles._

I'd forgotten that every Saturday my mom cooked my favorite, and on Sundays we had biscuits and gravy for my Dad.

I hugged her again.

"Thank you, Mama."

-xxxx-

"Sounds good. I'll see you next month." My dad's gruff voice floated from the kitchen. "Thanks again." I stopped at the bottom of the stairs, quietly listening. After a few deep breaths, I entered the kitchen and sat down at the breakfast table.

"Good morning, sweetheart." I smiled at my dad, holding back tears.

The last time I had seen him I told him that I hated him. But that wasn't really a few days ago if I'm in the past now. _This was so confusing._ He hadn't listened when I told him that I didn't want to marry Mr. Wrong. He told me that I had perfectly normal cold feet. Finally, I gave up without ever having told the truth. To everyone, Mr. Wrong was the perfect man. He'd fooled everyone for too long. My Dad would never have believed me.

"Morning, Dad."

My mom served me a plate with three huge, blueberry pancakes, and I quickly began cutting them into bite-size pieces.

"Who was on the phone?" Mama asked.

"That, _my dear_, was our very first tenant for the lake house," he replied proudly.

I gasped, choking on my food. My dad quickly rushed to my aid, hitting my back.

"Bells... are you okay?"

Coughing and catching my breath, I nodded.

Now I knew for sure what year this was.

My dad had spent two years fixing up the old lake house that he'd inherited from Aunt Fern in order to rent it out for extra money during the summer.

The first and only tenants to rent the lake house were the Cullens.

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**Are you still with me? I hope so. See ya next update.**


	3. BFF

**Thank you to my beautiful beta - *Sunflower3759* -**

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"_Oh my God_, could you believe Jessica's _dress_?" Alice exclaimed, "I don't know how she kept her boobs from falling out." Her nose scrunched and she shivered in disgust.

I responded with genuine laughter. I'd forgotten how enthusiastic and dramatic my best friend from high school had been. On the inside, my stomach tightened at the thought of just how much I had missed her, but I couldn't let that show. I did my best to act as normal as possible. And I _did_ remember Jessica's dress. That's not something you forget.

"I know."

Alice took a deep breath. "So...," she paused, inching closer to me on the sofa and lowered her voice, "did you and Jake finally _do it_?" She winked.

I'd forgotten about Jake, well not entirely - one can never forget their first boyfriend, but he definitely wasn't the one that had been on my mind lately. And my senior prom...

_What? Ohhhhh... No... we didn't, did we? No. Not until..._

"Uhhhhh... it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't play dumb with me, Isabella Swan!" she scolded. "You left the prom early last night. Where did you go?"

_Think... think..._

I quickly looked around to make sure we were still alone in my living-room.

"We went to the meadow, but we didn't have sex, Alice. I promise." I crossed my heart to seal the deal.

She eyed me skeptically and whispered, "All right... I believe you, but when are you going to finally give it up? You can't stay a virgin forever."

That's when a wicked plan popped into head.

Oh yes! Things were about to change, and if I did things differently this time, maybe... just maybe I'd have the happy ending that I deserved.

I smiled widely. "When _I _do _it_, you'll be the first to know, Alice."

-xxxx-

Alice and I had spent the rest of the afternoon painting our nails and talking about typical high school stuff - boys, bitches, and graduation. Yes, I was a senior again and just like before, I couldn't wait for school to be over - only this time it was for a very different reason. June couldn't come soon enough.

After dinner, I retired to my room where a plan formulated in my head. My bedside phone rang, interrupting my devious scheming.

"Hello?"

"Hey, baby," a deep, masculine voice greeted. "What are wearing?" _Jake._

_Oh yes... the games we'd played - the sexual banter_.

"Clothes."

"What color are your panties?"

I knew, but I didn't feel like playing with him.

"I don't remember."

He groaned. "I think I should come by there and pick you up. We could hang out and you could show me."

_Nope... not interested this time._

"I don't think so, Jake. I'm kinda tired from this weekend. I'm going to bed early... school tomorrow and all."

"It's not even eight. Come on...," he begged, "go for a ride with me, baby."

"No, Jake. Night."

I hung up before he had a chance to respond.

Jake and I had grown up together, and our dads were best friends. It was only fitting that we'd dated in high school, and everyone had thought that we'd stay together forever. But things happened and people changed... even back then.

This time it was a different me, and whether real or not, I was about to drastically alter my future.

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**Bella is about to shake things up in Forks. Hmm...**

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******Thank you for the response to this story. You've made the transition out of my comfort zone a little easier.**  


**See ya next update.  
**


	4. New Girl in Town

**Thank you to my beautiful beta - *Sunflower3759* -**

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For the first time in a two days, I had gotten a good look at myself in my bedroom mirror. I didn't appear any older or younger, and my old clothes still fit perfectly. I couldn't remember the last time I had actually studied myself for so long. It was bizarre, but I was thankful that I still looked eighteen and not my actual age of twenty-two.

The grin on my face grew wider as I thought about the plan I was about to put into action. A car honked outside of the house. My stomach flipped, knowing what was first on my agenda.

Satisfied with my appearance, I slipped on my ballet flats and grabbed my backpack off of my desk. A giggle slipped out of me as I saw my mother's smiling face at the bottom of the stairs.

"Well, aren't you in a good mood today?" she asked, opening the front door for me

"Yes, I am." I kissed her cheek and then skipped past her.

"Have a good day, sweetie!" she called out behind me.

_Oh mama, if you only knew._

I sucked in a breath at the sight of Jake's Camaro parked in the driveway. _Man... I had loved that car._ He winked at me from the driver's seat as I rounded the front.

"Hey, beautiful," he greeted, grinning as I opened the passenger door and slipped inside. Jake had an amazing smile, and I'd forgotten until now just how attractive he was. He leaned over and kissed my cheek before waving goodbye to my mother who watched from the doorway.

"Morning, Jake." I sat back in the seat, suddenly feeling extremely guilty. He didn't deserve and wouldn't understand what I was about to do, but it was part of my campaign to alter the future by changing the past.

"Did you sleep well last night?"

I nodded as a wave of nausea hit my stomach.

"Are you okay? You're never this quiet." His hand gently grasped mine.

I gulped and pulled away from his grasp. "Jake, there's something I need to tell you."

"What's that?" he asked, waiting for the stoplight to turn green.

_Don't chicken out now... _ I blew out a deep breath.

"I think we should break up."

He chuckled, turning at the next corner. "Good one, baby."

_Why is he laughing?_

I shook my head. "I'm serious, Jake. I don't want to be with you anymore."

"Baby, we can't be late for school. We have finals today."

_Why isn't he mad? _

Then it hit me. We used to play a game of breaking up just so that we could have make-up sessions at the meadow. _Dammit! How can I make him believe me?_

He parked the car in the school lot and turned to face me in his seat. I stared directly into his eyes.

"I'm not kidding, and I'm _not_ going to have sex with you on graduation night."

The smirk on his face slowly faded, and he narrowed his eyes.

"Why?" he demanded. "What the hell did I do?'

His tan face turned redder by the second.

"Nothing," I answered truthfully, shrugging. "It's me, not you." Looking over his shoulder, avoiding his intense gaze, I noticed Alice standing by her car, waiting for me like she had done every morning. Gripping the handle, I whispered, "I'm sorry" and grabbed my backpack and opened the door.

I wiped the trickling tears away as I approached my best friend. Her smile fell when she saw my face.

"Bella? What happened?"

I sniffled. "I just broke up with Jake."

And so, step one was completed.

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**Awww... I kinda feel bad for her _and_ Jake, don't you?**

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**Are you still with me? Things are just getting started.  
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	5. Change of Pace

**Thank you to my beautiful beta - *Sunflower3759* -**

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**There is some abusive behavior (nothing graphic) and it's also discussed in this chapter. **

**I said I'd mention it when the time came.  
**

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I managed to avoid Jake all morning, which wasn't too hard since we didn't have the same classes. However, as lunchtime neared, my anxiety grew. I had promised to give Alice the details during our fourth period - study hall.

"Spill it!" She demanded, tossing her books on the table.

I shrugged. "I just needed a change of pace."

She shook her head, frowning. "So you broke up with Jake?"

"Yup!"

She laughed. "What did he say?"

"Not much. I left before he had the chance to question it."

"Shit, Bella." She nudged me with her elbow.

"What?"

"Look," she said, pointing toward the doorway.

Jake stood there, signaling for me to come over.

"I'll be right back."

I walked toward him, taking a few deep breaths.

He put his arm around my shoulder, guiding me toward the janitor's closet.

Once we were both inside, he flipped on the light switch and locked the door.

"Are you playing games with me, Bella?" He asked, walking toward me.

I shook my head, inching my way backwards, gauging his anger. "No, Jake. Not this time."

"God dammit!" He roared, punching the wall behind me. Suddenly, the past and present collided before me - Mr. Jekyll and Hyde. I closed my eyes and tried my best not to move - something I learned a long time ago. "Fuck!" He shook his fist, flexing his fingers. "Why are you doing this to me, Bella?"

"Jake, please," I whimpered. "I don't want you to hurt me anymore."

"I've never fucking hurt you."

_Not yet._

"You will," I insisted. "You wanted to hit me just now, didn't you?"

Surprise flashed across his face, and he slowly backed up until he hit the door.

"I'm sorry," he said before unlocking the door and leaving.

Once Jake was gone, I breathed a deep sigh of relief, hoping that I had done the right thing.

-xxxx-

The rest of the day went relatively smooth. Jake's car was gone from the parking lot before Alice and I reached her car.

"I still can't believe you broke up with him," Alice commented as she drove to my house. "And right before graduation and … well..." she waved her hand, keeping her eyes on the road.

"I know what we had planned, Alice. Believe me when I say that it was for the best."

"Are you sure there isn't more to it?" She asked, parking in my driveway.

God, how I wanted to tell her the truth, but she'd surely think I had lost my mind. I scrambled to think of another way.

"I've been having dreams about him lately."

"About Jake?"

I nodded.

"What kind of dreams?" She asked softly, shifting in her seat to face me.

"He," I paused, swiping at my teary eyes. "You know his temper, Alice. I was scared."

"He hit me," I whispered. "In every dream, he hurt me."

"Oh, Bella." She leaned over and hugged me tightly before returning to her previous position. "Do you think it was like a premonition or something?"

I shrugged, shaking my head. "They felt _so _real. I didn't want to take the chance."

"We should probably go inside and tell your mom what happened before your dad gets home."

She was right. My dad wouldn't be happy. He loved Jake like a son.

"Alice," I said, stopping her before we entered the house. "Promise not to tell my mom about the dreams. I'll think of something else."

"Cross my heart," she said as her forefinger mimicked her words.

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**If you're reading this, that means you're still here - thanks so much :)**

** See ya next update.  
**


	6. Truth and Lies

**Thank you to my beautiful beta - *Sunflower3759* -**

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**There is some abusive behavior mentioned in this chapter. Just keeping my word.  
**

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"Isabella Marie Swan!" My father's authoritative voice boomed throughout the house.

_He knew._

I crept over to my bedroom door, keeping it closed - propping my ear against the wood.

My mama's attempts to ease him immediately ensued.

"Charlie, please You need to calm down."

"Renee, back off. I need to have talk with my daughter."

"Give her some time. She-"

"Did she give Jake any time?" He asked. "No. I want answers."

I gulped and rushed back over to my bed, sitting and waiting to be scolded like a two-year-old.

Seconds later, he opened the door.

"Bella, would you care to explain to me why Billy visited me today, telling me that you broke up with Jake."

"Charlie, she-" my mother paused when he raised his hand, signaling her to stop.

"Answer me."

_It's now or never, Bella. _

I stood, turning toward them both.

"I broke up with Jake because we'll both be leaving for college soon, and I don't want a long distance relationship."

"Did you tell him that?" He stood with his arms crossed. "Because he told Billy that he never saw it coming."

"No," I whispered.

He shook his head. "I think you should apologize and talk things out. Relationships aren't easy, Bella. You just don't throw away seventeen years of friendship that easily."

My eyes widened, and my heart raced.

I saw the beginnings of how our last heart to heart, father-daughter conversation started. This time I wasn't backing down.

I couldn't tell the whole truth like I wanted - that in the future, the man he thought was so perfect for me would constantly hurt me - emotionally and physically. That when my mother died from a brain aneurysm in the fall after I'd left home for college, I couldn't attend her funeral because I had a bruised cheek that even the best foundation couldn't entirely cover.

The first time, I had wanted to please my parents. I never really loved Jake like everyone thought, but I feared him. I would not apologize and go down that road again. Mr. Right's arrival was only days away.

"No."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Excuse me?"

"You can't force me to be with him Daddy!" I shouted. "He's not the good guy that you think he is. His temper terrifies me sometimes."

"I'll admit he can get hot about things, but he loves you Bella."

I shook my head. "Sometimes that's not enough."

He blew out a deep breath, and mama gently rubbed his arm.

"Charlie, listen to her. _Look_ at her, she's shaking. This isn't easy for her either."

My father eyed me warily.

"Fine." he surrendered. "But don't expect me to like it."

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**I hope you're still here - thanks so much :) Mr Right isn't far away!  
**

** See ya next update.**


	7. School's Out

**Thank you to my beautiful beta -*Sunflower3759*-**

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Everything about this day had gone much differently than the first time I'd graduated high school. It was awkward when Jake's family congratulated me. His mother hugged me, but his sister gave me the evil eye. It was probably best, I'd never liked her her stuck-up ass anyway. Jake glared at me, not saying a word. We hadn't spoken in two weeks, and that was fine by me. I only hoped that tonight would go smoothly. Everyone knew he liked to fight when he drank too much. I had a plan in mind, and if things went accordingly, for me and Mr. Right, I didn't need him screwing it up. There were rumors that Jake and Irina had gone out a few times, which made me happy and hopeful that the evening would be good.

"Oh my God," I whined, falling on top of Alice's bed. "I'm so fucking tired."

"I know." She giggled. "Who knew graduating high school would be so damn exhausting."

"I need a nap."

"Yeah," she sighed, "that'd be nice, but we have things to do."

I groaned. "What things?"

She shook her head.

"We have to go and set up for the party tonight, remember?"

_Dammit!_

"I have a better idea," I suggested. "You go, and I'll stay here and sleep."

She flicked my side.

I sat up quickly, smacking her leg. "Damn, Alice! That hurt."

"Stop being a whiner," she demanded. "Get your ass up and let's go."

I sighed heavily. "Fine."

She smiled victoriously.

After changing clothes and grabbing extra outfits and makeup for tonight, Alice drove us to Mike Newton's lake house. Originally we'd planned on using mine, but my dad had already rented it out. Mike then asked his parents, who agreed, on the condition that we cleaned up the next day.

-xxxx-

Fours hours later, the house was ready. Each lower level room was fully stocked with booze, snacks, and party games. The upper rooms were locked and everyone had their own key. Poor Mike lost his own room to Evan in a triple round game of rock-paper-scissors. They'd both thrown the same signs each time. _Mike never was too bright._

Alice and I headed toward her selected room to get "hot and fuckable" as she called it.

"So, who's it going to be?" Alice asked me, curling my hair.

"Who's going to be what?"

"You're totally going to lose your v-card tonight."

"Uhhhhh..." I laughed.

"Bella, you can't let breaking up with Jake ruin your plans. You need to do this now."

"God, Alice. Why are you so concerned about my sex life?"

"Because, no one goes off to college a virgin."

"Sure they do."

"Maybe, if you're fugly or prude," she challenged. "And you, missy are neither. I've heard the things that you and Jake have done."

I laughed, reaching around behind me, pinching her leg.

"Shut up."

She giggled, continuing to curl my hair.

An hour later, we were both ready and _utterly_ _fuckable_... her words not mine.

-xxxx-

The music was loud, and the house was full by the time we got downstairs. My stomach fluttered in anticipation of Mr. Right's appearance. The first time around, I'd been completely involved with Jake. It wasn't until the next day, that I'd actually met and talked to him. I'd seen him at the party, but Jake and I had left early.

That was then...

I passed the time, making my way from room to room. After beating Evan twice at pool, I handed the table over to Paul. I was restless and needed to circulate.

I was thankful when I spotted Alice in the den, but then froze when I saw who she was talking to.

_If Jasper is here, then so is..._

"You're pretty good at busting balls."

I froze at the sound of his smooth voice behind me.

_Hello, Mr. Right._

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